How would you improve Zavok?

[IHaveACaseOfSonicMania]

First, I just want to clarify that if you like Zavok, that's fine, I'm not judging you. I just don't really like him that much.

Also, please don't say, "Remove him from the franchise. "

I'd improve Zavok to be more memorable by making him the opposite of Eggman. Instead of machines, he uses his bare fists and magic. Eggman wants to take over the world and build Eggman Land, Zavok just wants destruction. Zavok's intelligence lies in philosophy, where as Eggman's lies in science and technology. Also, instead of trying to just use the world's energy for himself, I think he could maybe try to just get rid of it all together, I dunno. And I'd change his appearance and get rid of the rest of the six,

Spoiler

dunno how that would affect the finale to the metal virus arc

[MetalSkulkBane]

IDW already fixed the basics. I'm not big fan of their design for many reason (if they naked why Zik, if blacked clothed why Zeena), but I grew to tolerate it.

Most glaring problem of D6 was other 5, how petty losers they were. IDW just made petty psychopaths and now Zomom is scary not lame. Like Ian said, Zavok is Intelligent Beast, which is a fun trope.

I wish they had a liiiittle more background. If they are just demons who seeks destruction for destruction sake, it works, they don't need sappy backstory or complex motives. But it says a lot that almost every time we see Zavok his plan is to steal plan of Eggman/Starline. They lack direction.

[Vlad the Vampire]

To improve him, they should deal deeper with the Zetis' (lost???) civilisation on Lost Hex...

[QZX343]

I think Zavok and the Deadly Six are fine, I just wish they were better utilized and better explained. Really Zavok and the others just need an interesting backstory and lore to explain who and what they are and what motivates each of them. You know expand on their warrior race culture, how and why was the Deadly Six created, explain the history of the Zeti and Lost Hex, what are the other Zeti doing, do they have packs as well, does Zavok and the others have rivalries with other Zeti considering they're beings that love to conquer/destroy.

[IHaveACaseOfSonicMania]

1 hour ago, Vlad the Vampire said:

To improve him, they should deal deeper with the Zetis' (lost???) civilisation on Lost Hex...

 

45 minutes ago, QZX343 said:

I think Zavok and the Deadly Six are fine, I just wish they were better utilized and better explained. Really Zavok and the others just need an interesting backstory and lore to explain who and what they are and what motivates each of them. You know expand on their warrior race culture, how and why was the Deadly Six created, explain the history of the Zeti and Lost Hex, what are the other Zeti doing, do they have packs as well, does Zavok and the others have rivalries with other Zeti considering they're beings that love to conquer/destroy.

I agree, I would make them more interesting to give them some motives.

[MetalSkulkBane]

While I wouldn't mind learning more about Lost Hex, I need to stress that 5 paragraph backstory doesn't make character good or bad.

Infinite, End, Lyric and Black Doom had different levels of backstory but it didn't made them compelling characters.
Meanwhile Hooligans, Skunk Bros or you know, EGGMAN don't have backstories and work just fine.

The key is having general context who they are and what they want. Sometimes "jerk", "thieves" or "evil scientist" is good enough. But overall Personality >>>>> Backstory.

[Kuzu]

All of the best Sonic Antagonists generally serve as foils for him. There's nothing about Zavok or the D6 that really challenges Sonic on any level.

And I don't even know how you fix that without just making new characters entirely.

[SadVlad]

Honestly, I would say to just give him a personality. He has no motive or substance from a story driven perspective. He has only ever existed with a "hulk smash" mentality, with no rhyme or reason.

Now, I don't know about his representation in the IDW comics, so my perspective is merely from the video games. He just hasn't been represented well. Take Metal Sonic for instance. This is a character with no dialogue, but has been more impactful and memorable because he actually has a back story and motive. Even if it be to prove himself superior to Sonic.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Zavok is surprisingly one of the least problematic of the Zeti. Design-wise at least.

That said, I’d improve him with more depth to his motivations and actions. When introduced to him, he becomes a threat mainly out of spite to Eggman and Sonic, but he and the D6 continue to be terrors to the world mainly as a result of the actions of a few.

It certainly cements them as the bad guys, but when you really look at it, it just comes off as basic.

I mentioned this in a status reply, but I’d make him and the D6 emulate a vice—maybe Wrath given his color and Devil-like silhouette. And his actions are focused on stirring as much wrath and violence as possible. You could make him the Sonic equivalent of Khorne from Warhammer 40K, but on a lesser power scale—he wants to see and cause as much violence as possible and uses his D6 to help aid this cause. I’d even retool his power set to work on organics as much as machines, stirring anger and fury among his targets and causing chaos that way—for machines, they become more erratic and dangerous and randomly spawn more lethal weapons of a Zeti make, and for people they become more enraged over the most minor of things.

It’s similar to Dark Gaia affecting emotions, but for Zavok it’s more mono-dimensional by sticking strictly to Wrath and nothing else unrelated (meaning if something makes you sad or joyful over something else, his effect wears off).

He’s not difficult to work with, it’s just that whatever ideas they have just come off as half-baked in execution.

[Cuz]

Yeet him into the sun.

[castell-neath]

I think most people have summed it up already - better backstory and motivations, more history and exploration of Lost Hex, and generally better characterisation of the other 5. Also, delve deeper in to his ability to control the Buzz Bombers.